Trap.



No. 831,929. PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906. U. GHRISTIANSON.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a1. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

CHRISTIAN OHRISTIANSON, OF. BOWBELLS, NORTH DAKOTA.

TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

Application filed March 81, 1906. Serial No. 309.185.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN Cnnrsrmn- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bowbells, in the county of Ward and State of NorthDakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Traps, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to animal-traps, the object of the inventionbeingto provide asimple, cheaply manufactured and effective animaltrap forgripping the leg or legs of an animal and securely holding the same, thetrap embodying simple and novel mechanism for holding and releasing andthrowing or closing the jaws when the animal steps thereon.

l/Vith the above general object in view the invention consists in thenovel construction,

combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described,illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of ananimal-trap embodying the present invention, the trap being shown set.Fig. 2 is abottom plan view of the same, partly broken away in section.Fig. 3 is a side view of the trap after the same has been sprung.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate a pair of arcuate andsubstantially semicircular jaws, each of said jaws being preferablyformed of a single bar bent into semicircular form and having oneextremity thereof bent inward, as shown at 3, to project radially, saidinbent extremity 3 being provided with a reduced projecting stud 4,which is received in a corresponding socket 5 in the adjacent andabutting extremity of one of a pair of diverging and inclining bars 6,which extend from the inbent ends 3 toward the opposite side of the jaws1 and 2, being connected at said opposite extremities to the jaws in anyconvenient manner.

It will be observed that the bars 6 not only diverge, but they are alsoinclined, as best shown in Fig. 3, so as to enable the actuatingspringto have the necessary closing effect on the jaws.

The jaw-closing spring comprises a flat body portion 7, which isprovided with openings to receiv e the studs 4, the said body part ofthe spring fitting up against the shoulders formed by reducing theinbent ends 3 to pro vide studs 4, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Thespring is bent into U shape, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the free endthereof is provided with an elongated slot 8, which receives thediverging bars 6, the arrangementbeing such that when the free end ofthe spring is liberated and allowed to fly outward away from the bodyportion 7 it acts upon the diverging bars 6, drawing the outer endsthereof toward each other and quickly closing the jaws of the trap uponthe leg or legs of the animal.

In order to hold the jaws open, I provide a catch 9, having ahook-shaped extremity adapted to engage over one of the jaws, as shownin Fig. 1, said catch being pivotally mounted at 10 on a carrier orslide 1l,which rests against the inner side of the body 7 of the springand is provided with bent retaininglips 12, which embrace the top andbottom edges of the body of the spring and prevent the slide or carrierfrom slipping off the spring, but enabling said slide to be movedlengthwise of the body 7 of the spring in order to bring the hook of thecatch into engagement with the adjacent jaw 2 of the trap. The carrieror slide 11 also has mounted thereon a combined bait-table and trigger13, the same being fulcrumed at 14 on the slide 11 and having its nose15 in engagement with the tail 16 of the catch 9, whereby when theanimal places any weight upon said table 13 it will rock the catch 9 andthrow the same out of engagement with the adjacent jaw of the trap,thereby releasing said jaw and allowing the spring to throw both of thejaws upward and together. jaws are connected by an eyebolt 17, whichforms the pivotal connection between the jaws at one side thereof, whilethe pivotal connection at the opposite side is afforded by the studs 4,which pass through the body 7 of the spring.

I claim- 1. An animal-trap comprising oppositelyarranged swinging jawsprovided with angularly-disposed bars, and a jaw-throwing spring havingits free end in engagement with said angularly-disposed bars.

2. An animal-trap comprising oppositelyarranged swinging jaws pivotallyrelated to each other and provided with diverging and inclining bars,and a jaw-throwing spring having the free end thereof in slidingengagement with said bars.

3. An animal-trap comprising pivotallyconnected jaws provided withdiverging bars, in combination with a spring having one end connected tothe jaws and the opposite free The other ends of the g end working insliding engagement with said diverging bars and cooperating therewith toclose the jaws.

4:. An animal-trap comprising oppositelyarranged jaws, a jaw-closingspring having the free end thereof in operative engagement with the jawsand adapted to close the latter, a carrier having a sliding engagementwith said spring, and a trippingmechanism mounted on said carrier.

5. An animal-trap comprising oppositelyarranged pivotally-connectedjaws, in combination with a jaw-closing spring extending substantiallyat right angles to the axis of movement of the jaws, a sliding carriermovable on a part of the spring, a j aw-engaging catch on said carrier,and a trigger on said carrier cooperating with the catch.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTIAN OHRISTIANSON. Witnesses:

F. I. LYON, RASMUS HANSEN.

